Inside cover

Inside

CritScore1 review
Critic score39 critics
First release
Jun 29, 2016
Publisher
Playdead
Engine
Unity
Genres
Indie, Adventure, Platform, Puzzle · Drama, Action, Science fiction, Horror, Stealth

Inside is a puzzle-platformer developed by Playdead, presented in a 2.5D side-scrolling format with a dark, predominantly monochromatic visual style. The player controls an unnamed boy navigating a dystopian environment, solving environmental puzzles, avoiding hostile guards and creatures, and using a mind-control device to manipulate bodies in order to progress. The game features no dialogue or HUD, relying on visual and audio cues to guide the player through its increasingly surreal and dangerous settings.

Also known as Playdead's INSIDE, INSIDE.exe, INSIDE

Attributes

No Attributes added.

Details

Storyline, release dates, time to beat, age ratings, modes, links, keywords

Storyline
In a hostile, dystopian world, a young boy flees through a forest pursued by masked guards with flashlights, vehicles, and attack dogs. Escaping the patrols, he crosses into farmland overrun by parasitic worms and rampaging animals, then reaches a seemingly abandoned city where lines of zombie-like people are moved through mind control. Using a mind-control helmet, the boy manipulates these drone-like figures to press deeper into a vast underground facility of flooded chambers and laboratories, where scientists conduct disturbing underwater experiments on human bodies. An underwater creature attaches a device to the boy, allowing him to breathe beneath the surface as he pushes further into the complex, drawn toward something at its center.Read more

In a hostile, dystopian world, a young boy flees through a forest pursued by masked guards with flashlights, vehicles, and attack dogs. Escaping the patrols, he crosses into farmland overrun by parasitic worms and rampaging animals, then reaches a seemingly abandoned city where lines of zombie-like people are moved through mind control. Using a mind-control helmet, the boy manipulates these drone-like figures to press deeper into a vast underground facility of flooded chambers and laboratories, where scientists conduct disturbing underwater experiments on human bodies. An underwater creature attaches a device to the boy, allowing him to breathe beneath the surface as he pushes further into the complex, drawn toward something at its center.

Release dates
Xbox One
Jun 29, 2016
PC (Microsoft Windows)
Jul 07, 2016
PlayStation 4
Aug 23, 2016
All 8 release dates
PlayStation 4
Nov 24, 2016
iOS
Dec 14, 2017
Nintendo Switch
Jun 28, 2018
Mac
Jun 23, 2020
Mac
Jun 26, 2020
Time to beatIGDB · recorded
Main Story
2h
Main + Extras
4h
Completionist
5h
Game modes
Single player
Perspective
Side view
Keywords
death, robots, 2.5d, side-scrolling, steam
… All 52, bird, multiple endings, hiding, camera, dog, level selection, darkness, spiritual successor, steam achievements, digital distribution, steam cloud, game critics awards, pig, cat, mind control, ea app, puzzle platformer, extreme violence, corpse, young protagonist, checkpoints, falling damage, faceless protagonist, auto-saving, environmental puzzles, underwater gameplay, secret area, jump scare moment, game developers choice awards 2017, d.i.c.e. awards 2017, falling sequence, scientist, no hud, plot twist, severed limbs, guidance gameplay, foreshadowing, the game awards - nominee, the game awards 2016, the game awards - best music or sound design - nominee, male protagonist, the game awards - best art direction - nominee, the game awards - best art direction - winner, the game awards - best independent game - nominee, the game awards - best independent game - winner, the game awards - best narrative - nominee, the game awards - game of the year - nominee

At a Glance

Critic Score
92
Main Story (IGDB)
2h
Main + Extras (IGDB)
4h
Completionist (IGDB)
5h

Overview

Steam review summary

Steam users rate this Overwhelmingly Positive, 70,145 reviews in all languages, recorded 16 October 2026

Valve's summary of Steam user reviews. Valve counts only reviews from purchases on Steam, not key activations, and leaves out review periods it has marked as off-topic. It isn't part of the CritScore score.

Review summary: SteamSteam data provided via the Steam Web API (opens in a new tab)Not affiliated with Valve →

About storefront and compatibility information

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